220https://static.zerochan.net/Kasuga.22Osaka22.Ayumu.full.881030.jpg Review by me lol Slice of life has always been a genre Ive thought to have massive potential. By removing the tightly knit plot and fantastical setting of other anime it leaves the perfect opportunity to focus on characters. Some of my personal favorite anime like New Game and Imouto Sae Ireba Ii. use the slice of life format to craft some of the most interesting and believable characters set to screen. All of this is to say that slice of life in its conception allows for the perfect canvas to write intricate characters. Which is why whenever I see an anime do the complete opposite Im instantly interested in it. Lucky Star will always be one of the most interesting slice of lifes to me for the simple reason that it ditches complex characters in favor of ones that are paper thin and utterly simple. Of course pulling off simple characters in a genre where characters are near the only appeal is incredibly difficult but when its done well it will never cease to amaze me. Which is where we get to Azumanga Daioh. Azumanga Daioh is the concept of simple character writing taken to its logical extreme. Running gags persist throughout the entire series and youll be able to extrapolate most of a characters personality within the first few minutes of seeing them on screen. And thats precisely the point. Azumanga Daioh uses simple characters to show complex character relations. Within the massive group of friends the show follows characters interact with each other differently depending on their relations with one another. A few examples: Osaka Tomo and Kagura form a group they call The Knuckleheads and this bond formed in idiocy persists in small ways throughout the show. Kagura has a rivalry with Sakaki and will often compete with her. Chiyo and Osaka form a close bond with each other. These relations turn what might have become relatively stale into something incredibly interesting. Not to mention the characters in Azumanga Daioh are just FUN. I especially love Ayumu Osaka Kasuga. She really does steal the show in so many ways. Aside from her theres the hyperactive but lovable Tomo adorable and intelligent Chiyo cool with a penchant for cuteness Sakaki responsible voice of reason who can also be occasionally immature Yomi and competitive Kagura. Theres also three teachers in the main cast: irresponsible Yukari responsible Minamo and perverted Kitamura. Thats a simple explanation of the entire cast but I dont think my description emphasizes just how real each character feels. Despite being simple and very outthere the cast almost feels like they were made for each other. Theres not a single cast member I didnt like and most of them I absolutely loved. One of the more interesting parts of Azumanga Daioh is the emphasis on school events traveling and generally breaking away from the monotony of school life. Three times the characters go to Chiyos summer home three times they have the sports festival and on top of other miscellaneous events and the school festival Azumanga Daioh manages to constantly break up the pace of the show to keep things consistently fresh. Another standout part of this anime is the comedy. While its mostly what youd expect from a slice of life it occasionally gets super outthere and surreal especially when Osakas involved. This surreal side of the comedy really helps Azumanga Daioh differentiate itself from other anime not to mention its just super funny. Ive rarely seen a show that can make me laugh as consistently as this one and on top of all the other things I loved the comedy really helped complete this show. Azumanga Daioh is just another slice of life comedy. It also perfects everything it sets out to do. Ill always remember episode 19 as one of my favorite moments in anime. Its not the climax of a giant arc its not explosive or big or even really anything out of the ordinary. Its a scene of Minamo and Yukari simply talking about the future and what they want to do with their lives and it managed to get more emotion out of me than the climaxes of most anime. I never really noticed or cared that Azumanga Daioh is mostly fluff because its fluff that makes you feel something with characters that are simple but also utterly enthralling. Azumanga Daioh truly is a masterpiece in its simplicity.